Movie Review: Somebody's Hero

“We can all be heroic. I mean, not necessarily by literally fighting crime, but just by doing the right thing.” – Dennis Sullivan, Somebody’s Hero

Christopher Gorham (Covert Affairs, Ugly Betty) and Susan Misner (One Life to Live, Person of Interest) star in this film (written and directed by Darin Beckstead) set to be released this Father’s Day, June 17, 2012.

Dennis (Christopher Gorham) is an accountant who is singled-out by his boss to attend to Katie Wells (Susan Misner), their biggest client’s widow, in an effort to retain her business now that her husband has passed away. Katie is struggling with coming to terms with her husband’s death and being left alone to raise their son Jake (Ben Hyland), who has become withdrawn and cares for little else aside from his favorite superhero known as Man America.

When Dennis goes to their home, he finds himself charmed by Katie and Jake, and discovers Jake’s obsession with Man America. Afterwards, on his way home, Dennis stops by a costume shop and dons a Man America costume for fun – at which point a crazed man with a knife comes into the store demanding cash. Dennis – in full Man America regalia – comes to the rescue and saves the day.

The costume shop owner gives Dennis the Man America costume as a gift, and encourages him to use it to give people hope. Unfortunately, Dennis is not as great a superhero as the fictional Man America seems to be. However, his heart is in the right place and he attempts to use his new-found status for good, to encourage others to be “heroic” in more simple ways, such as helping a neighbor – or even a stranger – in need.

The problem is, Katie is not a fan of heroes (because her husband’s attempts at heroics are what caused his premature death). She spends a great deal of time trying to discourage her son from thinking superheroes like Man America are good role models. Upon learning this, Dennis decides to keep his Man America guise a secret from her until he can find a way to help her see the importance of “heroes” in the world.

Now, to be honest, I did not expect much from this film. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the film set a great tone right from the start. With the help of some supporting characters, particularly Rusty (Carl Gordon) and Maureen (Novella Nelson), Somebody’s Hero manages to find a great balance between serious and comedic while staying on track and not slowing the pace.

That said, the “fight” scenes – though refreshingly realistic as far as the portrayal of a human man donning superhero costumes goes – were cheesy to the point of distraction because they interrupt the flow with their clichéd sound effects and music tracks. Fortunately, there are only two of these scenes, so it does not dramatically impact the effect of the movie. In fact, in some ways, the scenes add to the humor with the use of a conveniently-placed witness panel to observe, commentate, and in the end, help eliminate the “bad guy”.

One great thing about this film is that the focus is not to bring yet another superhero into the Marvel/DC mix, but to show that not all superheros are superhuman. Regular people can – and should strive to – be heroes, too. Of course, the standard romantic plot is also covered, though as it’s not the primary focus, it isn’t as detailed as your traditional romantic comedy movie. Overall, Somebody’s Hero is a stirring, light-hearted take on the superhero genre. The movie tells a very sweet story and manages to get across a much-needed message, while drawing out more than a few laughs along the way.

Author:

Hello! I’m Brittany, currently surviving as a graduate student. I am highly opinionated, but seldom a “shipper”. I love the entertainment industry – books, television, movies, music – and enjoy engaging conversations on it all. Currently, my favorite TV shows include: How I Met Your Mother, The Vampire Diaries, Awkward, Switched at Birth, Jersey Shore, and New Girl. Find me on Twitter at @ItEntertainsMe!